Railway-signal



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No. 374,132. Patented NOV. 29, 1887.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. A. 85 D. R. STEDMAN. A

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

\ Patented Nov. 29, 1887-.

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INV'E NTORI WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. STEDMAN, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., AND DAVID It. STEDMAN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,132, dated November 29, 1887. Application filed February .21, 1887. Serial No. 228,346. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. STEDMAN and DAVID R. S'IEDMAN, both citizens of the United States, the former residing in the city,

county, and State of New York, and the latter residing in Elizabeth, Union county, New Jersey, have jointly invented certain Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of railway-signals wherein a locomotive or car, as the case may be, on cnteringa block, acts to tilt a track or way and permit a. targetdisk to roll-down said tilted or inclined way into View, and when said locomotive or car passes out of the block it releases said track or way, which tilts back and permits said disk to roll back out of the view.

Our signal embodies certain new and use- 0 111 improvements in this class of signals, which improvements will be hereinafter set forth. It may be employed as a block-signal, to be set to danger by the train when it enters the block, and shifted orset to safety 2 by the train when it passes out of the block.

In this case it warns a train approaching from approaching behind; but it may also be employed for setting a danger-signal ahead to indicate, for example, that a train is approaching through a tunnel or around a curve.

The object of our invention is, in part, to improve the construction and mounting of the colored target-disk, in part to improve the mechanical devices employed for tilting the track or way on which the disk rolls, and in part to improve the mechanical devices employed for locking the signallever and for unlocking it from a distant point, all with a view of attaining simplicity and durability.

Our invention will be hereinafter fully de scribed, and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate our invention, Figure 1 is a transverse section 5 through the track-rails z z and the operatingtreadle D at the signal-station X, showing the tilting target at safety in full lines, and at danger in dotted lines. Line 1 1 in Figs. 2 and 3 indicates the plane of the section.

0 Figs 1 and 1 are detached sectional views of the tilting -target case, showing the rolling disk therein. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the latch-case and latch, showing the operating-treadle depressed and locked by the bolt of the latch. Fig. 3 is a section on line3 3in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the operating-treadle D in side elevation. This view also shows this treadle in dotted linesinits position when turned back so as to be inoperative. Fig. 4

is a plan of the operating-treadle D and latch 6c case 0. Fig. 5 is a plan on a scale one-half that of the other figures, showing the mechanism at signalst-ation X and at the unlock ing or shifting station Y at the other end of the block. As these stations may be any distance apart, the track between them has been broken away in part. Fig. 6 is a side elevation on the same scale as Figs. 1 to at of the treadle and slide at the unlocking or shifting station Y; and Fig. 7 is a crosssection taken in line 7 7 in Fig.6, showing the slide in end elevation. Fig. 8 illustrates a modification that will be hereinafter described.

We will first describe the tilting target at station X and the means employed for tiltin it.

:A is a post at the side of the track, and B is the target-casing mounted thereon. This casing is constructed somewhat in the form of a flat box, set on its edge, and pivotally attached to the post A at a, so that it may be rocked on this bearing. At the end of the targetcasing next the track two oppositely-arranged glazed apertures, 12, are provided in its sides. In the target-casing (see Fig. 1) is mounted a rolling'disk, B, provided with a centrally-arranged transparent plate, b, usually of red glass. This disk, by tilting the target-casing, is caused to roll from end to end of said casing, and in order that it may'roll freely I prefer 0 to provide a U shaped or trough-shaped track,

I), one above and one below for it to roll in,

the upper track serving as a guide for the upper side of said disk. WVhen the disk rolls down to the end of the target-casing next to 5 the track, it stands opposite to the glazed apertures b and is visible from an approaching locomotive. A lantern, G, is set on abrackct on post A at night to illuminate the target. The light of the lantern will be seen through apertures b from an approaching locomotive.

The target B stands, normally, so tilted that the disk B is not visible, but when a locomotive enters the block in passing station X it tilts the target, and disk B rolls down to the other end, so as to be visible at apertures 12. This sets the signal to danger. It is locked in this position, and when the locomotive,

moving in the direction of arrow on, reachesstation Y at the end of the block it unlocks the target, which tilts by force of gravity, and the disk B rolls back again out of sight. This sets the signal to safety.

We will now describe the mechanism we prefer to employ for tilting and locking the target and for unlocking it.

At station X, where the target is placed, an operating-treadle, D, slightly arched, as seen in Fig. 3, is arranged close to one of the trackrails Z. This treadle is pivotally mounted at d, and its free end is supported on the short arm 6 of a signal-lever, E, fulcrumed at 0*. The longer arm, 6, of lever E is coupled to a connecting-rod, E, the upper end of which is coupled to the outer end of the targetcasing B. The long arm of leverEplaysin a keeper, e which limits its movement. Under normal conditions the combined weight of the long arm of lever E and the connecting-rod E will suffice to tilt the targetcasing B to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, while the short arm of lever E will support the treadle D and maintain its arched or convex central portion raised a little above the level of the surface of track-rail Z. Then a locomotive passes this point, its wheel depresses the treadle'D, which acts on the short arm of lever E to depress it, and, thus acting through the long arm of said lever and the connectingrod E, to tilt the target-casing B to the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The disk B will now roll to the other end of said casing, where it will be visible and indicate danger, but if no means were employed to lock the target in this position, gravity would return the parts to their first position as soon as the train had passed. To obviate this, we employ an automatic lock to hold treadle D depressed, which we will now describe with especial reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

At its free end treadle D is provided with an arm, (1*, which projects out in front of a latch-case, 0, through which plays a latch-bolt, 0*, provided with a latch spring, 0, which tends to keep the end of the bolt protruded. When treadle D is depressed by the locomotive or car-wheel, its arm d passes below the tip of said bolt, as seen in Fig. 2, and the bolt shoots out over it, thus preventing said treadle D from rising until the bolt is withdrawn. When the bolt is drawn back, the treadle is raised, by the gravity of the parts, as before described;) but the arm d is so wide that it does not lift high enough to clear the path of the bolt. Consequently when the bolt is released its tip will not pass under the arm d*, but will press against the face of said arm. The signal is now set to danger at station X. The locomotive, moving on in the direc tion indicated by arrow 00, reachesstation Y,

which represents the end of the block, and its wheel depresses a treadle, D (seen in Figs. 5 and 6,) of the same character as the treadle D at station X. This treadle has a beveled extremity, g, which rests on an incline, 9*, on a slide, G. This slide is mounted on a keeperguide, G fixed at the side of the track. Depression of treadle D acting through the medium of its beveled extremity, imparts a sl ding movement to the slide G in the direction indicated by arrow y in Figs. 5 and 6. The slide G is connected by a rod, H, or some form of connector, with the bolt 0* at station X, so that when slide G is moved the bolt 0* will be withdrawn and treadle D unlocked.

In Fig. 3 we have represented in dotted lines the wheel XV of the locomotive in the act of depressing treadle D. The signal may be employed only as a fogsignal or night-signal. Under these circumstances, when the signal is not required to be used, the treadles D and D may be thrown over or turned back out of the way, as seen in dotted lines at V in Fig. 3. Thus the mechanism may be conveniently relieved from wear at such intervals. The fact that the free ends of the treadles are not coupled in any way to the other parts renders it a simple and, easy matter to turn them back out of the way. To protect them against the weather, all the parts except the treadles and target may be boxed in or inclosed; but this we have not deemed it necessary to show.

The weight of the 'parts will ordinarily be sufiicient to prevent any mischievous person from depressing the treadle D, and the strength of the spring 0 will usually suffice to prevent such a person from depressing treadle D but as a precautionary device strong springs might be placed under said treadles to prevent them from being tampered with. To prevent these treadles from being thrown back, as seen at V in Fig. 3, they may be provided each with a look and chain, J, as seen in Figs. 3 and 6.

In constructing and arranging our treadles D and D our object has been to provide for only a very slight depression, and also to provide for the movement of trains over them in both directions without injury. The connector H may be provided with some known means for compensating ,expansion and contraction; but under ordinary conditions it is believed that nothing of this kind will be required. If the connector H is rigid, as it will be by preference, the only effect of its expansion and contraction lengthwise will be to move the slide G, and thus slightly raise or lower the treadle D This variation in the elevation of said treadle will be provided for in setting up the signal.

In Fig. 8 we have shown a slight modification in-the construction and arrangement of the signal. So far as the mechanism for tilting the target is concerned, the connecting-rod E is replaced by a pendent arm, E", secured rigidly to the casing 13*. By vibrating this arm the casing is rocked or tilted. This vibration may be communicated from lever E through any intermediate mechanism. In the present case the long arm of lever E is coupled by a link, 6 to one arm of a bell-crank, e, and the other end of said bell-crank is connected by a rod or link, a to the lower end of arm E. In this figure the signaling device is constructed for signaling ahead to indicate the approach of a train, and to effect this the mechanism is so arranged on the road that the train reaches station Y first-that is to say, the position is reversed from that before described.

In Fig. 8 the target-casing B is shown in section, and the glazed apertures b are at the outer end. The signal stands at danger, as seen in the figure, the passing of station Y by the locomotive having unlocked treadle D and allowed the disk B to roll down to the position seen in the figure. When the locomotive passes the signal-station X, its wheel will depress the treadle D and set the signal to safety. The next approaching locomotive will, on passing station Y, again unlock treadle D and set the signal to danger.

In Fig. 8 the disk B is shown as mounted upon a carriage, which rolls on tracks in the target-casing. We have, for convenience only, grouped these several modified constructions in Fig. 8. It will be obvious, however, that by merely placing the apertures bin the other end of the target casing B the construction shown in Figs-1 to 7 may as well be employed for signaling ahead.

We do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and operation of the mechanism as herein shown, as these may be varied to some extent without materially departing from our invention.

IVe have called the feature B of the target a disk but by this we do not mean to imply that it is necessarily circular in form, although that is the preferred configuration. When mounted on a carriage, as in Fig. 8, it may have any convenient form-as square or polygonal.

The frame-like part B may be of any suitable materialas wood, .for example-but the plate I) must be of transparent material, in

order that the color may show by transmitted light from lantern 0.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. In a railway-signal, the combination, with the box-like target-casing mounted on a rocking pivot or bearing and provided with apertures b in its sides at one end, of the rolling disk B, provided with a colored transparent plate, I), and mounted in said box-like casing.

2. The combination, with the treadle D, having aprojectingarm, d ofthespring-latch, the connector H, connecting the latch-bolt to slide G, the said slide provided with a bevel or incline,g and asuitable keeper, and thetreadle D provided with a beveled end, 9, which rests on incline g of the slide, whereby depression of treadle D withdraws the latch-bolt and frees treadle D.

3. The combination, with the tilting-target casing and the traveling disk arranged therein,

of the treadle D, the lever E,with unequal arms, the long arm of said lever connected through the medium of a rod with the said target, and the said connecting-rod.

4. The combination, with the pivotallymounted box-like casing B, provided with glazed apertures b and a track for the rolling disk, of the circular disk B, arranged in said casing and provided with a transparent colored plate, b, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railwaysignal, the combination,with the post A and lantern O, of the pivotallymountedcasing B on said post, having glazed apertures b in its opposite sides and a track or way inside, and the rolling disk B, having a colored plate, I), of transparent material, set in it, said 'disk being mounted on said track, and said lantern being arranged opposite to the glazed apertures in the casing, as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. STEDMAN. DAVID R. STEDMAN.

Witnesses;

HENRY OONNETT, J. D. CAPLINGER. 

